Work, Marraige and sex

I work in a unique environment. I work around some of the most dedicated, hard working, and smartest men in America’s armed forces. We take impossible problems and come up with practical solutions every single day. Most of them work hard and play hard. I just work hard, never really been the playing type. I have a lot more I want to say, but I think this isn’t the appropriate forum.

I took my current post about 3 and a half years ago. I took over, assessed and restructured the way my group of men handle business. I spend most of my time, even while deployed, training men. I have spent a lot of the last years or so training 2 guys to untimately fill my position. One of which was my primary choice and focus. I evaluated him, pushed him hard both in combat and at home. A few months ago he was selected for promotion to my rank and I allowed him to step into my position to feel his way around while I am still present. Long story short, he learns while I make sure the mission doesn’t fail. So yesterday he comes up and sits on my desk (which usually means he needs my help or advice) and what comes out of his mouth shocks me. He is being accused of sleeping with another Soldiers wife. Now I just recently testified on behalf of another Soldier friend of mine that was accused of the same thing initially. It ended up that they just sent some inappropriate text and email between each other and never really slept together. However an inappropriate relationship from the Army’s standpoint encompasses a lot more ground then just having sex. So, bottom line my friend is being punished and removed from our organization. Back to my current situation, my subordinate / peer has got us into some trouble. He is ultimately guilty of the same offense and will probably pay a simliar price. He was vital to the future of our group. Now a massive hole has formed in my formation with no-one even close to being trained up to fill the position. It generally takes about 2 years for a guy at my rank to come in from another organization, get trained start thinking on his own. Growing one fro scratch usually takes even longer. This will likely leave me laying awake for a few nights to come and apply some higher levels of stress to my days…… A few more weeks and hopefully I will be selected for promotion to the next grade. I will likely be reassigned, if I’m selected, and will leave this group to fight for itself. However this causes me considerable heartache. I have spent the last few years pushing this group of men into record setting condition that will likely go to hell without a trained and experienced leader…. oh hell………. The “F” word just comes to my mind over and over to describe this mess. I forgot to mention that he is also married…… What a F…ing mess he has created.

This next week will not be fun in the least. I am filling in for my boss. Which in all likelyhood will mean I will end up handling most of the above situation. Although he is one of my best friends I will not pull any punches. He will enjoy the full wrath of military law.

The State of the United States Army

Now my very beautiful friend brought up a few vaild points that I would like to comment on now.

I will begin with the overall state of the military which trickles its way down into every facet of military life. People are in awe at how much money it has cost to mobilize and fight this war. I, however am not surprised. We, the military are still recovering from the 1990’s where cutbacks took place in every spectrum of the military. For example, the most talented men in my field I ever met, even to this day, were removed from military service well before their 20 year goal due to cutbacks. Military medical facilities remained unchanged from the 1960 and 70s. Soldiers living conditions were generally below the standard of the average american prison. There was no money. For the first two years of my military service i lived in buildings that had been condemed 5 times before. Each time the Army had no choice but to pry down the boarded doors and move Soldiers in. I was taken care of in a hospital that was built in the 1940’s. Our equipment was generaly unchanged from the vietnam era equipment. The perfect example is HMMWVs and armor. Do you not think that we hadn’t thought of Armoring our vehicles long before this war was ever envisioned. We simply did not have the money to do it. Had you brought it up to the powers that be it would’ve just been shot down. It wasn’t necessary. Another good example, this the first war that soldiers have actual body armor, not just flack vests. The technology has been in military hands for decades. It just simply could not be done. The president Bush era military is no smarter then the military of old, we just have the money now. I am happy to hear that Americans are up in arms about the state of the military healthcare. I have already seen the outcome of that cry for change right here on the post I work on. Almost the entire base has been re-built. We have new barracks, a new hospital, new hangers, a new dental clinic, just to name a few and all of these repaced facilities that where generally built either during or before Vietnam. So you see, the state of our force cannot be blamed on the current administration, but only on those before it. Congress decides everything for the military and we have all seen how truely jacked up the congressional system is. It takes forever to get anything done. The best example of that is the federal budget. It is supposed to be approved and in use on October 1st of every year. Fact of the matter is we usually get temporary funds from the Congress to keep us operating while they debate until Febuary. It is a matter of fact, not opinion, when I say this, the United States Military wants war. We will want more when this conflict ends. We see things from an entirely different view then the average American. We talk about this exact fact in my office on a weekly basis.  “As soon as this war ends, it’s back to the poor house for the United States Army.”

Now I will not defend the current Government on their decisions, its not my place. I think it is unfair that it all falls on one man, when he doesn’t really get to make decisions as one man. I think people fail to realize that the economy really didn’t start to fail until after the congress was taken over by the democratic party…. But that is neither here or nor there. If you are one of those people who are under the impression that one man (or woman) can make that large of a difference in this huge committee we call a nation then i think you should relook how you view our current system. I hope I could give you a small slice from my view of things. I will give you one last thought. This last paragraph probably made most of you guys think that I will vote republican. I will tell you who will be marked on my ballot right now, “none of the above”

Back to my life….uggg…

Well after about 10 days off work i decided on Wednesday night to go ahead and return back to work on Thursday morning. It all started nicely with an hour swim, then back to the office. I have to admit I have become very good at what I do. I was literally caught up with email and office BS in about 15 minutes. I quickly realized I really didn’t have anything to do…. Both Thursday and Friday both started well with some exercise but after that they quickly returned to the place i have began to hate. Hopefully about one month or so from today I will be selected for promotion. That will open a new door for my career. Hopefully it will restart the challenge I love about my job. I am done with my current position either way. I may take over a new, for lack of a better word, assessment platoon for my current company if I dont get promoted. We will see.

This afternoon I am going over to my best buds house for a b-day party. His mother in law is getting another year older. Should be nice. His entire family and I are good friends. I spent the morning picking up all the limbs in my yard from the passing storm. We were very lucky that we didn’t get the inches of rain that other areas did. I was asked out tonight by a woman on one of the dating sites. Just by reading her profile I am not attracted to her, but i may go out anyway if for no other reason but just to keep me out of this house.

On that note, i have a ton of projects going on around this house. I just cannot seem to get myself to do any of them that are indoors. I can go outside and work all day and have made some headway in the yard. Inside however, nothing, absolutely nothing……. I so need a woman to take charge of my life aka girlfriend…